In the News
Sabre Law’s Neil Hartung is a regular commentator and recognized authority on consumer rights, competition law, data privacy, and cybersecurity legal risk. His analysis has been sought by CBC, the Globe and Mail, Canadaland, and Do Not Pass Go.
Interview with Manjula Selvaraja at CBC about the Live Nation / Ticketmaster break-up
Neil joined CBC Radio’s Manjula Selvaraja as a representative of the Consumers Council of Canada, which brought a landmark competition application to break up Live Nation in Canada. He explained the market dynamics that let ticketing monopolies set the rules — and why consumers end up paying for it.
Maryiya Postelnyak at the Globe and Mail (Paid Content)
Journalist Maryiya Postelnyak covered the Consumers Council of Canada’s competition application against Live Nation, which Neil helped bring as a member of its board. On what it means to have the promoter, the venue owner and the ticketing platform all under one roof: “With that vertical integration…they can extract more than fair share from artists.”
CBC Go Public with Erica Johnson
After identity thieves ran up $20,000 of debt in her name, a 23-year-old Edmonton engineer spent eighteen months trying to convince Equifax and TransUnion the debts were not hers. Neil explained why cases like hers are so hard to fix: Canada’s credit reporting agencies answer to both provincial and federal law, so meaningful reform would need thirteen provincial and territorial legislatures moving in step with Ottawa.
The Consumers Council of Canada, with Neil as a board member, brought a formal competition application to the Competition Tribunal seeking structural remedies against Live Nation’s dominance of the Canadian live events and ticketing market — including an order to split Live Nation from Ticketmaster and sell off its stadiums and arenas.
“That gives them an amazing amount of market power. They basically get to write the rules of the game. Consumers who have to pay that freight.”
– Neil Hartung
Canadaland with Jesse Brown — When a Simple Purchase Turns Into a Scam
Host Jesse Brown was talked into buying a cardigan on Toronto’s Mink Mile and got something very different from what he was promised. Neil joined the episode to explain what consumer protection law actually offers someone in that position — and where the gap sits between what the rules say and what a buyer can realistically enforce. Episode #1176, “Men’s Elegant Cardigan, XL”
Peter Nowak at Do Not Pass Go — Breaking Up Ticketmaster
Do Not Pass Go is Peter Nowak’s weekly podcast on corporate concentration and monopoly power in Canada. Neil joined him to talk through the Consumers Council’s bid to force Live Nation to separate from Ticketmaster and divest its venues — what the Competition Act allows, what a structural remedy would look like, and why Canadian consumers have so little leverage in the meantime.
Erez Zuvulunov at Beyond the Firewall — Episode 19
Neil spoke with host Erez Zuvulunov about the legal blind spots businesses overlook in their cybersecurity planning — governance failures, insurance gaps, and the lawyer’s role in preventing and responding to cyber threats. He also addressed the evolving legal implications of AI adoption.
Privacy breach expert quoted by Loraine Centeno
Asked whether Canada should adopt the European Union’s 72-hour deadline for reporting a data breach, Neil pushed back on the premise. Three days, he argued, is not long enough for an organization to establish what has actually been taken. The real gap is enforcement — rules nobody actively enforces end up being honoured mainly by businesses already inclined to comply.
“Rules will (only) be followed by those businesses that have an interest in following the rules and being seen as good citizens.”
– Neil Hartung, Welland Tribune
Peter Nowak at Do Not Pass Go — Carney Government Slashes Consumer Protection Funding
Neil was quoted on the federal decision to wind down the Office of Consumer Affairs and its Canadian Consumer Protection Initiative by March 2027 — a move affecting the Consumers Council of Canada, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and other groups. He argued the savings are negligible against the federal budget, and that stripping funding from consumer advocacy leaves Canadians with weaker representation in the marketplace, not a cheaper one.
Board of the Consumer Council of Canada (CCC) member
Neil serves as a Director and Treasurer of Canada’s leading independent consumer advocacy organization, contributing legal expertise across its consumer protection, marketplace fairness, and public policy work.